Blazing Love

Since the pandemic began, I have been walking. I am now walking through my third season of 2020. First Spring, then Summer and now Fall. I have watched the plants change. I have watched the activities of families and children change. I have felt the temperatures rise and fall. One of the most fascinating changes is the change in the light. The sun rises much later and it’s angles are striking. This morning, after almost an hour of walking in the dark, I turn the corner and felt a bit like Moses. I saw a blaze that stopped me in my tracks.

It took me a moment to realize I had not walked upon a wild fire. This was the sun bursting into the day. It was a truly astounding sight. I felt the need to pause and be still in the presence of such a overwhelming moment. It was most impressive.

I’m always amazed when I ponder the concept of space, with the rotating earth revolving around the sun so far, far away. What a wonder. What a miracle. Yet all is tied to this one phenomenon. Each day of our life. Each year of our life. The turn of each season. The constant rhythm of the universe.

The Psalmist writes, “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Even though we now know it is our little pebble of a planet that moves around, the sentiment is still straight and true. Each day is a gift. In its way, each day is a miracle. Within the circle of God’s loving presence we travel through space and live out our lives without feeling this blazing voyage in the slightest. What I believe God desires for us is to feel that each day is a new beginning, that each day holds the promise of hope and that each day is a gift to be embraced and lived large.

Into a sick and hurting world, into a violent and divided time, into individual hearts weighed down with sorrow and uncertainty, my prayer this day is that an awareness of God’s loving presence will blaze into our lives like the sun.

Peace.